Apparatus for welding rings.



PATENTED AUG. 2, 1904' G. W. LA V00. APPARATUS FOR WELDING RINGS.

APPLIOATIOH FILED SEPT. 24.1903.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

INVENTOR- acoz yagzlaj b My W WITNESSES:

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UNITED STATES Patented August 2, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE IV. LA VOO, OF STEUBENVILLE, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO LABELLE IRON \VORKS, OF STEUBENVILLIC, OHIO, A CORPORA- TION OF \VESTVIRGINIA.

APPARATUS FOR WELDING RINGS- SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersPatent No. 766,363, dated August 2, 1904. Application filed September 2L, 1903- Serial No. 174,528. No model.

To all ZU/LOTIL it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE 1V. LA'VOO, a citizen of the United States,residing at Steubenville, in the county of Jefferson and State of Ohio,have invented or discovered new and useful Improvements in Apparatus forolding Rings, of which the following is a specilication.

My invention relates to the welding of metal rings-such aspipe-couplings, thread-protectors, zc.by means of cluster-rollssurrounding a mandrel; and its objects are to prevent the front end ofthe heated blank from u psetting and from passing out between theshaping-rolls, which would result in welding the blank around one ofsuch rolls; to cause the blank to clasp the mandrel tightly and makerings of uniform size, and, further, to prevent the metal from loopingout between the shaping-rolls.

To that end my invention consists in providing a conveying-guide betweenthe first two of the cluster and similar or other guides between theother shapingrolls of the cluster, which are preferably in the form ofrotary rolls arranged to hold the blank in proper position and preventimproper action.

Figure 1 is an end elevation of a rolling-mill constructed in accordancewith my invention. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section of the rollswith the housings removed. Fig. 3 is an inner face view of one-half ofthe rolls in position with the mandrel removed, the housings beingbroken away; and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the conveying-guidewhich 1 cmploy. 1

In the drawings, 2 indicates the usual mandrel, around which the ring isformed, and 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 represent the shaping-rolls having theusual curved pass or groove formed between end collars 9 and 10. Theserolls may be supported in adjustable bearings 11, which slide withinradial guideways in the housings 12. The roll 3, called the feedroll,and the opposite roll 5 I have shown in fixed bearing. as it is notfound necessary to adjust these rolls.

Around the mandrel and between the adjacent shaping-rolls, exceptbetween the rolls 3 and 4, I provide rotary guides consisting of 5 19,which, except rollers 3 and 5, are mounted in adjustable bearings 20, bywhich the rollers may be moved toward and from the mandrel, The roller11 need not be adjusted, and I have shown it in a fixed bearing. Theguidingrollers may be rotated merely by frictional 0 contact with themetal being rolled. It will be understood that where rotary guides areused they may be driven in many different ways. For example, they may beprovided with gear-wheels inter-meshing with gears on the roll-necks orthey may be driven by external connections.

Between the first two shaping-rolls 3 and L I do not employ aguide-roller, but use what I call a conveying-guide 14, whose 7 surfacenearest the mandrel 2is preferably the are of a circle whose radius ismuch greater than that of the rolls 1st 15, etc. The guide 13 has itsmiddle portion extending down be tween the rolls 3 and 4 and issupported pivotally by the pin or shaft 13 extending through its lowerportion. The gulde 131s provided with an arm 13, extending out below theroll 3 and provided with an adjustable weight 13", secured to the arm bythe set- 30 screw 14. The part of the guide between the rolls 3 and atis hollowed out so that the top of the guide may lie closely against theroll 3 or 4 when in its extreme position.

By reason of the guide 13 having a longer 5 radius than the rolls 1st15, &c., which have about the maximum radius a roll could have betweenthe rolls 3 and I, the forward side of the guide 13, which is the sidefirst engaged by the blank 21, will lie much higher than 9 would theforward side of a roll like 1 1. The result is that the blank strikesthe guide 13 at a very blunt angle instead of a very acute one,practically a right angle in the case a roll-guide were used. tilts theguide 13 back to the left on Fig. 2,

The blank 21 readily thus giving the advanced end of the blank a slightstart, but one sufiicient to carry the same successfully between themandrel 2 and the roll 4 without upsetting or in any way injuring it.The weight 13' causes the guide 13 to normally contact closely with theroll I 3, so that the blank cannot start down between the guide and theroll. If desired, guides like 13 may be used for the rollerguides 14 to18.

The pin or shaft 13 has its ends supported in blocks 22, slidable up anddown in the slots 23 in the plates 24, in which the rolls 8, 4, and 5are journaled. These blocks are held to the sides of the slots by meansof the heads of the bolts 25, passed through the slots 26 in the plates24:. Wedges 27 are passed from the outside of the plates 24 throughslots into engagement with the bottoms of the blocks 22.

In the plates 24: are fixed bolts 28, having threaded ends passingthrough the clownturned ends 29 of the wedges. By means of nuts 30,which are screwed on the bolts against opposite sides of the ends 29,the wedges may be adjusted back and forth to suit the pass and securelyheld in place.

It is clear that my guide 13 has a wider use than with a ring-formingmachine, since it may be used where only three rolls are used, one onone side of the pass and two on the other.

In operating the mill the shaping-rollers 3 to 8 are driven byconnections in the usual manner, and as the heated blank 21 enters atthe point marked A, Fig. 2, between the roll 3 and the rotary guide 18,its end is bent down and started upon the mandrel 2. This end thencontacts with the pivoted conveying guide 13, which turns on its pivotand carries this end forward against the mandrel, as above described,and as it passes each successive shaping-roller the successive rotary orother guides hold it closely in contact with the mandrel and prevent itslooping out between the shaping-rolls. During this action the collars ofthe shaping-rolls work upon the hot metal and shape and hold it inplace. After the removal of each ring the guide will move back to itsnormal position against the leading roll 3.

It is found in practice that the guide 13 and the small guiding-rollers14. to 18 effectually prevent the entering end from passing out betweenthe shaping-rolls, and hence prevent welding a ring around one of theseshapingrolls. They also force the blank tightly on the mandrel, thusmaking couplings of uniform diameter, Whereas without their use thecoupling is liable to run loose on the mandrel, giving a variation inthe size. They also prevent the looping out between theshapingrollers,which has heretofore caused the coupling to be formed inan irregular circle.

The guides 1 1 to 18 may rotate or not, as desired, and many variationsmay be made in their form and arrangement when used, in

their number, and the means for driving them without departing from myinvention.

Having described my inventlon, I cla1m 1. In a rolling-mill, a mandrel,a plurality of shaping-rolls arranged to form a pass between the mandreland the shaping-rolls, and a guide movable back and forth across thespace between two of the shaping-rolls.

2. In a rolling-mill, a mandrel, a plurality of shaping-rolls arrangedto form a pass between the mandrel and the shaping-rolls, a guidemovable back and forth across the space between two of theshaping-rolls, and means for adjusting the guide toward and from themandrel. V

Signed at Steubenville, Ohio, this 18th day of September, 1903.

GEORGE W. LA VOO.

WVitnesses:

JOHN BAXTER, J. E. l/VRIGHT.

